Modell’s Dropped $500,000 On Patriots AFC Champions Gear

Modell’s Sporting Goods had a good feeling about the outcome of Sunday’s AFC Championship game. A really good feeling. So much so that the retailer bought $500,000 worth of New England Patriots to place in select stores. Some of the merchandise was even on sale the day before the Pats faced off against the Denver Broncos. Obviously, things didn’t go according to plan, and Modell’s will have to donate all of the gear to the Land of Bizzaro Champions: third world countries.

“We took a tremendous risk, but you know what? People expect us to have the merchandise,” a source told the Boston Herald prior to the game. “We printed up everything: hats, shirts, T-shirts, novelties, pennants — you name it — for men, women, kids.”

“We’re not allowed to sell it,” a source told the Boston Herald.

That’s too bad. I’m sure there are enough New England hipsters that would buy a shirt just to be ironic.